You've been patiently awaiting its arrival and at last the plane has landed! Disembarking today we bring you the fabulous selections from across the galaxy, around the globe and just up your street! That's right! The books some truly wise and wonderful folks have been fantastic enough to highly recommend. Without further ado--well, perhaps just a limited amount of ado--we bring you THE SUMMER READING SPECTACULAR!
Marybell Garcia says:
I don’t know when and where I came across this title: Stuff White People Like. I do know that when I read the first chapter I was in tears. Laughing. Hysterically. Seriously. Before actually reading it, I assumed that the book was explaining this: if white people like it, then it will become a success. What ever ‘it’ is. ‘It’ can be anything i.e. music, movies, books, food, fashion trends you name it. This is simply because majority rules. Duh. If white people like it then it MUST be cool, right? Right. Anyway moving right along, since I was wrong (I did it, I judged a book by it’s cover). Christian Lander is completely funny. The book is merely a list with detailed descriptions of ‘stuff’ that white people like. Funny it sure was because we all know a white person or two who really does like the stuff mentioned. It’s funny because it is true. Funny when I thought to myself “Hey! I like that too and yes this is so true!” In the detailed description of the items that white people like is also included tips and other advice. You can say that this book is definitely a ‘guide’ as it says so on the cover. My favorite being #23 Wine “… the way white people like wine is on a whole different level…” “When a white person offers you wine, take a small sip and then say ‘Ooh that’s nice what country is it from?’ then they will say the name of the country and then you say, ‘I love wines from that country…” My favorite piece of advice was to make up a name of a winery from a country so that when your white friends go out to look for it they will not find it and they will consider you a very smart person. All I can think of while reading this is hipsters, hipsters, and more hipsters. Stuff White People Like (Christian Lander) is a serious good laugh.
Dee Scott says:
About fifteen years ago my Aunt Cinnamon (counselor/spiritual advisor/motivational speaker) told me something very important. We had just finished our weekly session and she looked directly at me with her loving and compassionate eyes and said, "You are very fit. You have spent many years working on your physical self with sports and fitness. Now it is time to work on your spiritual self and put the same efforts into that part of you.". I remember even at that time I thought "how profound". We have three equal parts that make up our whole; physical, mental, and emotional (spiritual). It is very important that we exercise all three to become healthy and happy.
Three years ago I had a very serious accident. I ended up with multiple T-Spine fractures, injuring my spinal cord, punctured lung, and a severe brain injury. This is the short list. For the last three years I have spent every day working on my physical health and spiritual/emotional health. Physical Therapy and positive thoughts along with affirmations have been my life. Last year I noticed some things missing in my intelligence that concerned me. After much discussion with my physician, I came to the conclusion that my brain injury needed some good 'ol fashion TLC. It was time to put my efforts into exercising my brain. A mental physical therapy.
Education was the obvious choice so off to college I went. This has help some; just not enough to get my brain back into the swing of things and running at optimal level. While at a bookstore one day, and after discussing my brain concerns with one of my therapists, my gaze came upon a book that sounded very interesting. The Brain That Changes Itself drew me in with its back page explosive energy (which I was lacking). "This book is about the revolutionary discovery that the human brain can change itself...without operations or medications. For four hundred years mainstream medicine and science believed that brain anatomy was fixed." The author goes on t explain that while traveling around to find an alternative belief and answers he met a "band of brilliant scientists" that "showed that the brain changed its very structure with each different activity it performed, perfecting its circuits so it was better suited to the task at hand. If certain parts failed, then other parts could sometimes take over." That alone peaked my excitement!
Recently there have been several articles about Alzheimer's offering proof that with proper diet and activity we can reverse the disease and even keep it from occurring. At age 46, I have become very interested in keeping my brain active and on a path of health. Coming from a fitness and wellness background, I understand how resilient our body is. Just simple changes in our daily activities (think -- brushing your teeth with the opposite hand) help grow new neurotransmitters and synapses in the brain. This new growth keeps the brain young and evolving.
Our brain function is essential to overall health. Nestled in a skull and not visible, most people spend little time thinking about their brain and even a shorter amount of time investigating how to keep it health and the benefits. Our brain is responsible for the complex workings and stability of all the organs that make up our body. So in essense, focusing on the needs of the brain should be a priority!
As stated earlier, we have three parts to our whole. I have spent many years focusing on my physical and spiritual health. Sitting here now, gazing at this book, I am very much looking forward to reading it. If nothing else, I will at least have exercised my brain for the 4 - 6 hours it takes to read it. A new fitness program starts out with minimal exercise sessions to build a strong foundation for the rest of the program. I am excited to use this book as my stepping stone to a long and healthy life. Maybe with the extra neurons developed I can pave the way for my children to live a healthier life. Quoting the very wise Buddha, "Carpenters bend wood. Fletchers bend arrows. Wise men fashion themselves."
About fifteen years ago my Aunt Cinnamon (counselor/spiritual advisor/motivational speaker) told me something very important. We had just finished our weekly session and she looked directly at me with her loving and compassionate eyes and said, "You are very fit. You have spent many years working on your physical self with sports and fitness. Now it is time to work on your spiritual self and put the same efforts into that part of you.". I remember even at that time I thought "how profound". We have three equal parts that make up our whole; physical, mental, and emotional (spiritual). It is very important that we exercise all three to become healthy and happy.
Three years ago I had a very serious accident. I ended up with multiple T-Spine fractures, injuring my spinal cord, punctured lung, and a severe brain injury. This is the short list. For the last three years I have spent every day working on my physical health and spiritual/emotional health. Physical Therapy and positive thoughts along with affirmations have been my life. Last year I noticed some things missing in my intelligence that concerned me. After much discussion with my physician, I came to the conclusion that my brain injury needed some good 'ol fashion TLC. It was time to put my efforts into exercising my brain. A mental physical therapy.
Education was the obvious choice so off to college I went. This has help some; just not enough to get my brain back into the swing of things and running at optimal level. While at a bookstore one day, and after discussing my brain concerns with one of my therapists, my gaze came upon a book that sounded very interesting. The Brain That Changes Itself drew me in with its back page explosive energy (which I was lacking). "This book is about the revolutionary discovery that the human brain can change itself...without operations or medications. For four hundred years mainstream medicine and science believed that brain anatomy was fixed." The author goes on t explain that while traveling around to find an alternative belief and answers he met a "band of brilliant scientists" that "showed that the brain changed its very structure with each different activity it performed, perfecting its circuits so it was better suited to the task at hand. If certain parts failed, then other parts could sometimes take over." That alone peaked my excitement!
Recently there have been several articles about Alzheimer's offering proof that with proper diet and activity we can reverse the disease and even keep it from occurring. At age 46, I have become very interested in keeping my brain active and on a path of health. Coming from a fitness and wellness background, I understand how resilient our body is. Just simple changes in our daily activities (think -- brushing your teeth with the opposite hand) help grow new neurotransmitters and synapses in the brain. This new growth keeps the brain young and evolving.
Our brain function is essential to overall health. Nestled in a skull and not visible, most people spend little time thinking about their brain and even a shorter amount of time investigating how to keep it health and the benefits. Our brain is responsible for the complex workings and stability of all the organs that make up our body. So in essense, focusing on the needs of the brain should be a priority!
As stated earlier, we have three parts to our whole. I have spent many years focusing on my physical and spiritual health. Sitting here now, gazing at this book, I am very much looking forward to reading it. If nothing else, I will at least have exercised my brain for the 4 - 6 hours it takes to read it. A new fitness program starts out with minimal exercise sessions to build a strong foundation for the rest of the program. I am excited to use this book as my stepping stone to a long and healthy life. Maybe with the extra neurons developed I can pave the way for my children to live a healthier life. Quoting the very wise Buddha, "Carpenters bend wood. Fletchers bend arrows. Wise men fashion themselves."
Karen Lyons Pyle says:
My personal library usually consists of books on political thought, social justice (or lack thereof), or various theological teachings. I actually took a sabbatical from reading, several months ago, because I was overloading on the deep emotions that come with the continuous onslaught of too much negative news and literature. It is now time to laugh, and in that vein, I have chosen as my first step of summer reading, CONFESSIONS OF A FAILED SOUTHERN LADY by Florence King. I actually read this book soon after it was published in 1990, and while I do not remember all of what I read, I DO REMEMBER how I laughed out loud through the whole book, how I laughed so hard that I sometimes cried, and at times, I could hardly catch my breath! Re-reading this book has long been on my “things to do” for the past several years, if for no other reason, than to once again laugh so passionately.Florence begins her tale with her maternal grandmother and the courtship of parents, who are totally opposites, an English father and an American mother. When Florence makes her debut into this world, her Virginia grandmother sets her sights on the chance to rear a southern lady, and promptly plants herself in the midst of the family, never returning to Virginia.
Florence's upbringing is a clash between a mother who disdains southern femininity and a grandmother who totally and completely embraces southern womanhood. The stories of female family members of her childhood who follow the “religion” of southern women as delicates, who embrace their “female troubles”, and who polish their silver to a fault but pay no mind to the dust in their homes, will leave the reader with aching ribs from the uproarious laughter: case in point – the great-aunt who carried a pickle jar in her so that she could “catch her womb”, should it “fall out”.
For a light-hearted read, and tearful laughter, I highly recommend this book!
Regenia Lucas-Mayne says:
Phil, you asked me to write about one book I'm planning to read--it was hard to select one because my reading list is always too long, but here goes: I plan to read Crossroads of Death: The Story of the Malmedy Massacre and Trial by James J. Weingartner. The "Malmedy Massacre" was a tragic incident of war that arose from the Battle of the Bulge, when more than 80 unarmed American prisoners of war were shot and killed by a unit of the SS panzer division that had accepted their surrender. The events of that day, and the subsequent trial of the notorious leader of that division (which became itself notorious in the annals of American justice) prove once again that truth is stranger and more riveting than any fiction.
Deb Leckrone McCunney says:
Didn't we read A Separate Peace in high school and Of Mice and Men? I think I'll just work on the classic list. I love To Kill a Mockingbird and Gone with the Wind. Can you believe they are on the list [of banned books]? They use the "N" word! The last book I know I read off the regular list was The Giver by Lois Lowry. Had no idea it was banned til I read about it in the paper on a flight to Philly for the funeral for a nun. I was shocked. I found out it was read in my daughter's school in advanced lit classes with parental permission. I called my mom and told her I had been bad and read a banned book. Was I allowed? I used to drive the librarians in Circleville nuts. Mrs. Leckrone? Is Debbie allowed to check this book out? My mom always said yes, but I'll admit she read some of them first. She'd give it back to me and say read it. Then we are going to have a talk.
Phil Mershon says:
One book I will read this summer is one I have been trying to read for almost thirty years. It is called Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas Hofstadter. I lifted it from a dear friend in late 1982 and never made it much past the first one hundred pages, despite it being my second all-time favorite book (my favorite, of course, is Psychotic Reactions and Carburetor Dung by Lester Bangs, but you knew that). GEB is a tough read in spite of some remarkable humor and intellectual puzzles and whatnot. The idea behind it, so far as I can tell, is the inter-relatedness of everything as exemplified by the works of a mathematician, an artist, and a composer. Hofstadter used to write for the Scientific American and his style is easy. It's just that I would get through a few pages and have to stop to freaking contemplate what I'd just read before I could go on. Well, I've contemplated it to death and now, at long last, I plan to start over and read the whole thing without doing much thinking until I get to the end, at which point I will join a monastery and study the mating habits of asexual creatures for the remainder of my life.
I want to say a very special thank you to each and everyone of the above contributors. Each of them took time away from their pre-summer schedules to make the effort to come up with a recommended reading and no one got paid for anything. These are some really wonderful people and I very much appreciate what you have done. If you ever need anything, just ask.
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